Middle Childhood-School Age Kidlets

I. Physical Development
A. Height
1. Boys are usually slightly taller than girls at the beginning of this stage.
2. Typical six year old is almost four feet tall.
B. Weight
1. At age six an average child weighs about 47 pounds.
2. By age 12 this wight may double
C. Gross-Motor Skills
1. Changes in height and weight help with coordination.
2. As they grow older their gross-motor skills improve greatly.
D. Fine-Motor Skills
1. Have better control of the small muscles including fingers and hands
2. Visual perception and handwriting improves.
II. Health Concerns
A. Hearing
1. Usually very well developed by middle childhood.
2. Ear infections could be a health problem, but for most children ear infections decrease.
B. Vision
1. By age six, most children are able to read
2. Nearsightedness is the most common in middle childhood
C. Teeth
1. Begin losing their primary "baby" teeth
2. May have a psychological affect on some children-they may become self-conscience
D. Obesity
1. Obese children are often teased and ridiculed by their peers.
2. May have fewer friends and be picked last in social groups or athletic events.
3. Research shows that obese children are often obese adults.
III. Cognitive Development
1. Begin to use logical thinking, instead of perception
A. Attention and Memory
1. Memory becomes more controlled than during early childhood.
2. To remember information they will often use rehearsal.
B. Mental Operations
1. Use logic that is based on what they have experienced or seen.
2. Includes conservation and classification
C. Language
1. Ability to communicate increases
2. Use humor and jokes for language play
IV. Social-Emotional Development
1. Social relationships become more complex
A. Self-Concept
1. Begin to make social comparisons
2. Also use a lot of self-description
B. Understanding Others
1. They develop empathy and compassion
2. Can describe another person's feelings/emotions
C. Friendships
1. Choosing friends becomes more of a selective process
2. Without friendships the child does not receive important benefits
C. Peer Group Activities
1. Group activities play and important role in the social development of the children
2. Informal groups are often single-sex groups
D. Games With Rules
1. Games are important for children development
2. Without the children will not be as physically fit.
E. Team Sports
1. Both girls and boys enjoy participating in team sports
2. Learn teamwork skills
V. Moral Development
1. Moral Development is the process acquiring the standards of behavior that is acceptable by society
2. Learn moral behavior by interacting with others
3. Some behaviors will bring rewards such as attention